Sourdough Starter Tips
What is the best flour for a sourdough starter?
Bread flour is best for sourdough starters, but all-purpose flour can also be used. Learn more about the
different types of flour and when to use them.
What is the best container to keep sourdough starter in?
Select a jar or ceramic container that’s at least 4 quarts, which will give the starter lots of room to grow. A container with a lid can be helpful, too. Once your starter has been going for awhile, you can keep it in a smaller jar in the fridge.
Does sourdough starter go bad?
Sourdough starter can go bad if neglected. Make sure to keep on top of the feeding and discarding. The starter may darken, but if it turns another color or develops an offensive odor or mold, discard it and whip up a new one.
What happens if you don't feed your sourdough starter?
Forgetting to feed your sourdough starter for long enough periods will kill the yeast and organisms you’ve worked hard to cultivate. After all, making
sourdough is quite different than your traditional yeast bread making. If you’ve only missed one feeding, you may be able to bring it back with some feeding and careful watching.
Do you stir sourdough starter before using?
To use and replenish your sourdough starter, stir to blend in any liquid. Remove the amount of starter needed and bring to room temperature. For each ½ cup starter removed, add ½ cup flour and ½ cup warm water to the remaining starter and stir until smooth. Cover loosely and let stand in a warm place for 1-2 days or until light and bubbly. Stir; cover tightly and refrigerate. Follow this
step-by-step sourdough starter guide for more tips like these!
Reviews
Dang, this has nothing to do with "sourdough". This is not even a 100% hydration poolish or any sort of sponge. This is only a 197% activated commercial yeast. While it might leaven a bread it can't bring the complexity
Can anyone tell me if gluten free flour will work for this recipe?
I used this recipe years ago. It doesn't start out very sour, but gets better and better as it matures. I kept that batch going until I moved. I'll be starting a new batch today!
Easy instructions - teaching my teen how to make bread so this was an easy one to start with.
Looks easy enough and I've been wanting to try Sour Dough Bread. As to the recipe for French Sour Dough Bread recipe mentioned, I did a recipe search and nothing even closely resembling it came up. Meantime, I will baby this starter and adhere to the advice of other commenters to feed it (like a baby of course).
countryrose86, I don't know if you found your answer or not, but for what it's worth, every sourdough starter recipe I've ever seen recommends that if you don't use the starter regularly, you feed the starter every 10 days. I'm not sure why this recipe doesn't seem to state that, it's kind've an important tidbit of info!
Do you have to keep feeding the starter everyday? What if some drys out on top? Out of all the recipes i read this one was the best to understand.
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To replenish the starter, add flour and water equal in volume to the amount of starter used (for example, if you take out 1 cup of starter, add in 1 cup each of flour and water). Stir well and let stand in a warm place (80-90 degrees) for 12 to 24 hours or until light and bubbly. Stir starter and then cover loosely and refrigerate. These instructions can be found in the Taste of Home Baking Book on page 374.
I'd also like to know how to replenish the starter??